Improvement in distance-indicators for railroads



V -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'SAMUEL o. scHooNMAknn, or wiucnr, YORK.'

`uvlPFtovEn/lelwr IN DisTAklcii-nn,DIGA-toasFoav aAiLaoADsr.

l i Specification forming partei' Letters PatentiNolrlbGG, vdated September 4 i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL O. ScrrooN- MAKER, of Wright, in the county of Schoharie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful apparatus to be applied to railroad-trains, by means of which the distance traveled is correctly indicated, stoppingstations are marked, and curves or dangerous parts of the track are pointed out. Itis simple and easily applied and possesses para-- mount advantlges in the management and working of railroads, the nature of which will be herein clearly shown.

The nature of my invention consists in applying to the pilothouse of alocomotive-en gine or to a passengercar an indicator provided with a dial-plate, and having a. ratchet-wheel with a number of teeth cut in the same to correspond with the number of miles in the length of road, one toothor cog indicating a mile. A ratchet-spring works in these teeth, and is secured to a vertical rod, which passes down through the pilot-house or passenger- 'car and bears againsta short horizontal lever Suspended by a bolt to the frame at one end, and having an elastic spring on the other end, against which a short upright bar bears and slides up and down in guides fixed on a frame, the lower end of said bar being formed of an angular point.

At every mile on the road castings are laid down and placed in the center between the rails. They are formed like a double-incline plane, with the highest point in the center. As the. train comes along and passes over each lifter or double'incline plane, the angular or lower end of the upright bar or; striker comes in contact with it and is raised up, thereby pressing against the springs and horizontal with the upper rod, with the spring-catch at its upper end, which moves into another tooth on the ratchet-wheel. After the engine passes the double-incline plane or lifter the springs force the rods down and move the wheel one tooth distance, and the hand upon the shaft of the same indicates one mile on the dialpla-te.- The wheel has a projection in which a groove is cut to receive a cord or wire connected to a spring, which has a sufficient amount of friction, caused by elasticity7 to prevent the wheel froi mov-ing back-.on the.

upward motion of the rods.

ber of miles of length of road and intermediate stations and their correct distance from the starting-point and the position of the quick and dangerous curves, so that the engineer could see at any moment his position and regulate his speed accordingly, which is agreat advantage at night or in foggy weather, and serves to prevent danger and loss of life from collision, which is caused in many instances by the engineers ignorance of his shaft and raising them up together exact position. It would also be of great advantage to a conductor if placed in a passenger-car, and a benefit -to the traveling public, who, by referring to the indicator, could iind out where to get off and when they would arrive at their destination. The indicator is so contrived that when the engine arrives at the end of the road the dial-plate can be easily reversed and the different stations and curves could be marked on the back of the same, and the return trip could be indicated without reversing the direction of the hand.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention and to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, I will now p'orceed to describe it, and certify that the accompanying drawings are a correct representation of the same, like letters corresponding with like parts.

Figure l represents the indicator placed in the pilot-house ot' a locomotive-engine 5 Fig. 2, the saine applied to a passenger-car; Fig. 3, an enlarged view of indicator; Fig. 4, the means of working the same; Fig. 5, the reversed side of the dial-plate.

The indicator is provided with a dial-plate, B, in the usual manner, also a hand and shaft. On the latter a wheel, C, is placed, with a number of teeth cut to correspond with the length of road.

D is the ratchetspring which lits into the teeth of wheel C, and is attached to the vertical rod E, which passes through the floor of car F and is connected to the horizontal lever G, secured by a pin, g, to the frame I. The other end has a spring, J, which presses against the upper end of the bar or striker K.

The dial-plate is graduated withgthe num-v1 I L is a spring, one end of Which is secured to frame I. The other end presses on the upper end of said bar or striker K, which moves up and down in the guides k 7c, attached to the frame.

M is the doubleincline plane or lifter, placed lat each mile distance on the track, the highest tooth and indicates a mile traveled. The wheel O has a projection, R, on one side, with a groove to receive a Wire attached to a spring, P, (shown in red lines in Fig. 3,) to keep the wheel G from moving back. Q, Fig. 5, shows the reversed side of dial-plate. The red stars indicate curves.

l claimv rlhe double-incline plane or lifter M, ton gether with the arrangement of the striker K, spring L, lever G, and vertical rod E and clutch D, when used in combination with the distance-indicator, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

SAML O. SCHOONMAKER.

Witnesses:

LYMAN BAKER, W. DUMINICK. 

